29 reasons to read my blog!

 Pic of the day

 For today:

If you are on the same parts of the internet as I, you just might be sick of article titles such as:

,,,,, 10 Ways to Know if You were Raised by Bad Parents!

……… 8 Foods thought to be good for you, BUT aren’t!

…….. 10 Things that mean your Mate is cheating!

,,,,, 35 Subtle Gaslighting Phrases That Are Unfairly Belittling Your Emotions

……. 13 Noodle Recipes We Just Can’t Get Enough Of

,,,,,, 9 Items To Avoid Ordering at Longhorn Steakhouse

…..5  Reasons Your House Is Dusty All The Time

 ....... 14 Mannerly acts no one uses today!

 I think articles like those listed above are simply ‘click bait’, I have tried to read one or two and the writer goes on and on before addressing the title.

Methinks also there may be too many writers or columinists that can’t think of enough serious subjects to keep them busy, so they just make up stuff.

However like those conspiracy theories some articles can cause lots of trouble, like the one about ‘ways to tell if your mate is cheating’, someone taking another’s opinion as gospel, could split up a couple of good people.

Now as to 5 reasons to read my Blog? Sad to say I can think of only one, and that is so I can hear from others I consider friends.  Because in reality, like most men, I do know a lot of people but I have few friends, many have passed on.

Sherry just now asked, “Are we gonna play donimoes?”

I said, “Give me one reason why I should!”

“How about a Black eye?”

“Reason enough!”

We just finished the game.  LOL

I appreciate you being here to read! WE hope you are having a great day!

 

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thanks for all the visits. LOL

 

Coffee Talks

 Pic of the day;

 

WE also enjoyed coffee at the Cafe' Du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans a few times. With Beignets of course!

 For today:

I fix the coffee in the evenings (unless I forget) Sherry fixes Breakfast about 19 out of 20 mornings. She fires up the Coffee Pot; the 8 cups which is really 4 cups. We enjoy one with breakfast. We enjoy breakfast without either of us playing with the net. I put the dishes in to soak.

Then we settle down to enjoy one more cup and just talk. Subjects range from when we first met, to friends, church, family or just us.  We wonder if a squabble between two of our grands will ever be settled.  We are concerned about the time we have left for this lifestyle.

Should we buy another home, again here in Florida?

Should we upgrade our coach?

Those two are iffy, because we cannot predict our health over the next 5-6 years.  I have NO problems driving this coach. I have never had a real close call due to my driving, even in cities. BUT that doesn’t mean I will be the same at 90 years old.

Any age, things are tough to predict, but your mid 80s? You can imagine the lines get blurred.  I certainly do not want to endanger my Love, or other innocents on the highway due to stubbornness.

We enjoy our time, and of course memories are much of our conversations.

Just a few days ago we met friends from our time (early 1960s) in Missouri. Two of the sweet daughters (of the 10 siblings) from the Conrad family. They were raised on a farm. It was such a joy to catch up on their family news. Most of it good, but like many families, there have been bumps that hurt. The oldest son Harry (one of my heroes) is very sick in a VA Hospital from things suffered in Nam. The girls were there to assist in his care.  They took time to drive up to 'Yee Haw Junction' (Yes that is a town name!) for a meet.

Of course, this morning's coffee talk was about that. You that have mates, I hope you can have those sweet times…

 Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thanks for all the comments. Sherry’s BD is coming up. For the first time in many years, when I asked her what she would like, she paused most of the day then said, “A Purse!”  Can you imagine ME picking that out?  LOL I will take her to the store.

 

Negative crap!

 Pic of the day;

 

Lake Lure , NC, formally a beautiful clear mountain lake!

 For today:

When life has stepped on you and you feel like ‘crap’, life takes on a different color, meaning, shape and size.

I must be careful not to read negative junk, but I forget and do anyway.

Our home state of North Carolina’s beautiful mountains, was devastated recently by the rains from a hurricane.  It was not enough that areas were DESTROYED, but some fools have to start ‘conspiracy theories’ concerning politics and make it worse.

“THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT HELPING”

“ARMED PARTIOTS ARE SEARCHING FOR FEMA WORKERS”

“DEAD BODIES EVERYWERE AND THE GOV’T WON’T ALLOW ANY ONE TO HELP”

IT GOES ON... Now even stories that the Democrats caused the storm so the Gov’t could get the minerals on private lands. Gov’t is already confiscating the land and running people off their lands!!! 

AND SOME PEOPLE REPEAT AND BELIEVE THIS CRAP!!!

I have a neice and good friend who were there, almost immediately, to help along with FEMA and others.

The churches in NC and all over were there ASAP with water, clothes and food. The stores in central NC were emptied of supplies within hours, being gathered, for transport to the devastation.

Sherry and I are very familiar with the area of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, we lived a couple years about 10 miles from there. We even spent our one-night honeymoon on the shores of Lake Lure. 

Seeing the photos of the devastation breaks our hearts. BUT the JUNK on the net and (anti) social media makes me even sicker.

I have said it a thousand times. This is a great country. NO country would respond better than this country to disasters. Sherry and I have had the privilege to assist in reccovery of a big hurricane in the Mississippi area.

We learned things, Yes there are still places like Walmart, Pizza hut, Revco, Walgren etc., not destroyed, BUT they have no workers. We waited in line once at a Waffle House when served, the young lady had never had a job before and had a tough time as a waitress, but she got the job done under tough conditions.

IT finally hit us, These places have FEW employees left. Employees had lost homes, were hurting and many had left the area to live with family in other towns. CVS (all businesses) cannot operate without employees!!! Imagine a superWalmart with one cash register and he is the manager.

I despise that attitudes and approaches have dumbed down to ‘you against me.’ ‘Friend against friend.’ I read something a high profile lady said on TV “WE (the USA) are better than this!”

And we are, we should show it. God has been good to us.

 

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thanks for all the comments. It gives a boost to my self-pity, I have never needed that too much; but I am climbing up from the bottom thanks to friends and prayers.

Gettysburg,

 Pic of the day;

 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. 

 For today:

The name Gettysburg causes dark thoughts to cross my mind. The statistics briefly were:

·         Over 165,000 men participated in the battle.

·         Roughly one third became casualties.

·         More than 7,000 men died.

·         33,000 were wounded.

·         Six Confederate and five Union generals died, the most in any battle during the war.

The battle lasted 3 days. What bothers me is the WAR was unnecessary. Brother fought against brother. Father against son, etc. A problem that should have been solved by negotiations, in democracy that is the way it should work. BUT STUBBORN Politicians and hardheaded leaders Blew it; Americans killed 7000 AMERICANS and wounded 33,000 and that was only 3 days of the war..

                                                General  Grant                 General Lee

Quote from THAT day: 

Gettysburg: "The Whole Ground for Miles Around is Covered with the Wounded"

In that UNCIVIL War, 620,000 soldiers and civilians DIED!  More than died in ALL the other wars the USA has been involved, and we killed our own people. TERRIBLE.

We drove thru Gettysburg after leaving Lancaster; it brought back memories. Sherry and I have toured the battlefield and read the sickening statistics and saw where men died, most who had no problem with the cause of the war, it had not affected them.  Percentage wise few people OWNED Slaves. My family like most Southerners in the war were sharecroppers and never owned a slave.

I said that because in the last 2-3 years I have heard FOOLS say, “We need a civil war!”  They say that because ‘everyone’ does not see politics as they do. Very few of us AGREE ON EVERYTHING! But mostly in this country  we have two large parties and several small ones. We all think different and have mostly agreed to disagree and settle things at the Ballot box. I have always respected the vote, and STILL DO!!!. 

It hurts my heart to hear even my son say, “A civil war would settle this.” I had two BILs that I dearly loved. Our politics were opposite, but it NEVER caused one problem. I would be sick to think of son against father.

Imma close with this: on the Appalachian Trail there are about six graves. Four were boys who were fighting for the North but were coming home to celebrate Christmas with their mother. Their mother’s neighbors met and killed her sons,  because of political differences. If that isn’t sick, nothing is. That is third world stuff. I know we have some politicians who do not toe the line, but I have a lot of faith in our country and our way of life, I want it to continue, its continuation does not rest on one man or one party, it takes us all.

Nite Shipslog

PS 

Thanks for all the comments and visits here. It gives a boost to my life, I appreciate that, Folks, this WORLD still has some great folks living here. Look around you!

I THINK this will work

  A picture from the Past.

 

Kids on the streets in Toronto, Italy 1960s (?)

For Today:

We are now settled in the Eustis area of Florida.  Eustis is about 30 miles north of Orlando.  Damage here was minimum. We were able to get a 3 week reservation, but so far that is all.  In an emergency we can stay in son Mark’s driveway.

Life is very confusing to an old man. I think I have about 300 secret passwords now.  Something on an update wiped out all my sites along with pass words.  Shucks, I might have caused it my own self.  Example: every time someone hands me their phone and says, “Look at this!” what they were going to show me mysteriously just heads for the moon, I guess.  LOL

I want to ask Victor if they have bad storms in the UK, such as our hurricanes?  The reason I asked I ‘think’ I read about a bad storm headed for the northern area of the UK.

I do know that the North Atlantic is one rough ocean.  Many years ago, my ship, an aircraft carrier, was dwarfed by some giant seas. The waves seemed to be 50-70 feet. They came over our bow and it stood at about 50-60 ft.

Anyway, now that we are in Florida, they have found a few more baby hurricanes down in the Caribbean and over off the African shore headed this way.  We will stick around to see what direction they fly.

Hope all of you are doing well. I hope I can get back in line and catch up.

Missed the blogging, but I was afraid I would get used to it and head for FB. ;-)

NiteShipslog

PS: 

AGAIN THANKS to y’all for stopping by the Shipslog. It is nice to know that folks read this stuff.

 

 

 

Messed up Computer

 Hi! I am having trouble using this computer, hope this works. I always allow updates when the system says so.  But the last two times the next time I turn on the computer AFTER an update,  My formats have changed and  i must sign in on every site I go to. Most refuse my pass words. I am tired of getting text messages with ID verification codes.

Will be back ASAP.

So far no news from Lake County in Florida. both sons are still in Florida. Haven't heard from there yet after the center passed over.

I will try to get back on to make a report.  If not here I will make a note on FB if I can get there.

Broken arrow

  A picture from the Past.

 
Liberty call in Messina, Cisely 

My ship was the third over.

For Today:

My memory is sketchy at best, but at times there are things that hit me with a force to bring back an incident in this odd life of mine. Words like Heads and Latrines.  Everyone knows the word latrine; it is the common name for toilet in the Army and Air Force.  Although ‘Head’ is the same in the Navy, just not as well known. “Darnell, you have head duty today!” That meant it was my day to clean the toilet.

Some words were ‘classified’, not to be used off the base or ship. Every ship or base had a ‘code word’ that meant there is an immediate danger, return NOW to your duty station.

When the skipper/commander deemed necessary to get everyone back to the base, or Battle Stations, Announcements or phone calls were made and one word was used; one I remember The code was “Red Coat!” The person receiving the call answered, “UNDERSTOOD” and hung the phone and took off back to the base.

Being part of the military sticks with you. The code word  “Broken Arrow” was part of my life for the last ten years of service. It was a classified word NEVER to be used publicly. So you can imagine my SHOCK to see that printed in a newspaper. It is no longer a classified word, But I did not know that. I took this off the internet:

·         An accidental event involving nuclear weapons or components that does not create the risk of nuclear war.

·         A code word indicating that a unit is in danger of being overrun and requires immediate assistance.

·         A situation where a nuclear weapon is lost, stolen, accidentally detonated, or mistakenly released

·       

I heard it once in my career. We were taking-on some ‘Nuc’s’ in the North Atlantic and the seas were rough. Our ship and the Ammo ship came together ‘collided’ because of a wrong move by one of the ships.  (Over the ships loudspeakers was heard: “THIS IS NOT A DRILL, ‘BROKEN ARROW! BROKEN ARROW’!  The weapons were on deck, but they were secured immediately, by the crew, and a big problem was avoided by fast acting men. Damage to both ships was extensive.

My mind said to me several times in the last couple years, ‘Broken Arrow’.  I am not unique, I am sure that there have been problems, disasters, accidents in all of our lives when we felt the weight of the world on our shoulders. When I see the problems created by Helene, my problems shrink, but they still exist, just minor in comparison.

I know this is  a crazy post, but on my mind.

 

NiteShipslog

PS: 

So, ‘Thanks’ AGAIN to y’all for stopping by the Shipslog. It is nice to know that folks read this stuff.

Home base for a period.

  A picture from the Past.

 

I think we are this tired after the trip, me gathering and burning limbs and Sherry catching up on laundry and doing the cooking.

For Today:

I am NOT complaining. Compared to the damage many have felt; ours is trivial.

We lost no trees. But those trees dropped one million limbs plus or minus a thousand or so. LOL  I am talking about little limbs that the winds bring down sorta pruning them. Away from the house you could not step without stepping on small twigs and limbs. So most of the debris was little 1 and 2 foot pieces. There were a few 3-6” thick limbs, I have one area about 100’ x 100’ cleaned up and burned. Tomorrow I will head into the woods to start clearing.

It is good exercise. I tell Sherry I am going out to play.  For me it is.  We were affected by one tree that fell across one of our drives. It was the neighbor’s tree.  It hit the power lines but did not take the lines down.

The tree was leaning completely across the road.  I called the power company 6 months ago about that tree and met their tree man to talk.  He looked at it and said, “This tree will stand years yet, it has vines supporting it also.”

Well it did fall, I am sure the tree man was not expecting sustained 50+ mph winds.

OH, I had a nice surprise upon my return.  My grandson Ben had come over and did work on the deck I have been playing with, he did some fantastic work; much better than I have been doing.

We do not know how long we will stay in NC before heading to Florida, but it won’t be more than 2 weeks methinks. Like everyone else, gotta the County/city property taxes here.  They are outrageous. We pay $777 a month here in Gaston County.

 We are not moving out of the coach, gonna live behind the house.

NiteShipslog

PS: 

So, ‘Thanks’ AGAIN to y’all for stopping by the Shipslog. It is nice to know that folks read this stuff.

PS 2: For sure got to wash the car and RV we were in rain on and off the whole trip home..